


Ink

by DevonShea



Series: Friendship Distilled [5]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Gen, M/M, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-31 11:11:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20114161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DevonShea/pseuds/DevonShea
Summary: Merlin and Gwaine decide to get a couple's tattoo.  Too bad they can't agree on one.





	1. Tattoos

In the end, neither could quite remember whose idea it was to get a couples tattoo, but it didn’t really matter. Gwaine and Merlin sat in the lobby of the tattoo parlor and flicked through the albums of examples. Nothing was catching their interest. Oh, there were plenty of couples tattoos in the books, but they were all bland and boring. All hearts and romance. Merlin pushed the book he was looking at away and groaned. “We’re never going to find something interesting.”

“Maybe if you tell me what your interests are, I might be able to come up with something.” The owner of the shop was being extremely patient with the couple. He was used to this, though. People wanted a tattoo, but they didn’t always have a clear picture in their minds. He had decided long ago that part of his job was guiding his clients to the right tattoo for them. 

Gwaine shrugged. “I’m into sports and he’s into the arts. Don’t really know how we’ve managed to stay together so long, actually.”

“That’s not true. We have a lot in common, Gwaine.” Merlin shook his head. “We both love torturing Arthur, for one.”

Gwaine chuckled. “Yeah. It is fun. And we both like most of the same movies and books. Except for your regrettable obsession with Disney films.”

Merlin scoffed. Gwaine made a big show of not liking the movies he and Gwen had made the man catch up on, but Merlin had caught him humming some of the songs. He even went to all the new ones with Merlin without complaining overly much. Besides, Merlin had looked at Gwaine’s heavy rotation list on his music player, and there was a nice, long list of Disney tunes. “At least you admit to liking Harry Potter, even if you refuse to acknowledge your secret love of Disney.”

Gwaine just grinned at Merlin. “Hey, Harry Potter is cool. We grew up with it. I’d be Sirius and you’re definitely Remus.”

“Well, Sirius was kinda mental at the end, so I guess that fits.”

The tattoo artist snorted. “Let me grab a different book. We have one whole one devoted to geeky ink. Sounds like that might be more your speed.”

When he came back with the thick album, it only took the two of them a few minutes to pick out an idea for their matching tattoos. That night, they were happy to show them off to their friends. Gwaine had “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good” in a scroll with disappearing footprints across his heart; while Merlin had “Mischief managed” in the same scroll and footprint design tattooed over his heart.


	2. Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin forgot to tell Hunith about his tattoo... Oops.

Merlin blamed the summer heat and his father's Irish heritage for getting him in trouble with his mother. The visit to Hunith's house was going along just swimmingly, with Gwaine being his normal, charming self, when Hunith suggested a simple family outing to the sea to help cool off. It was the weekend, so why not? 

Merlin, being the pasty soul he was, called on Gwaine to help him put lotion on his back. Hunith just laughed when Gwaine complained about the greasy feel of the lotion. "It's all on you now, Gwaine. I got to do this his entire-"

Her words cut off as she narrowed her eyes. "Merlin, what is that thing on your chest?"

"Huh?" Merlin looked down at himself. "Oh. It's a tattoo? Gwaine has a matching one." His grin faded as his mother glared at him. 

She turned to a suddenly quiet Gwaine. "Let me see it." Her arms folded over her simple black bathing suit. Gwaine quickly shed his shirt so she could see his tattoo.

Hunith tutted and shook her head at the two men as she turned to walk into the cool water. "If you were going to get tattoos, you could at least have gotten some that said 'Mother'."

**Author's Note:**

> Merlin belongs to Shine and the BBC.


End file.
